Liverpool could be at risk of the double whammy of not only missing out on a reported free transfer swoop, but also seeing the player in question team up with an old adversary of the Reds.
Pete O’Rourke reported for Football Insider in April that the Merseysiders had been readying a contract offer for Evan Ndicka, whose contract with Eintracht Frankfurt is about to expire.
However, according to 90min on Tuesday afternoon, AS Roma are now confident of securing a deal for the centre-back in the near future, which would see him join up with Jose Mourinho.
It shouldn’t yet be taken as gospel that the 23-year-old will head for the Stadio Olimpico, as one reliable transfer reporter in Dean Jones informed GIVEMESPORT last week that Serie A champions Napoli are ‘putting themselves in a good position’ to sign the defender.
Nonetheless, while Ndicka’s next destination after Frankfurt isn’t yet known, it does look increasingly as if it won’t be Liverpool, which is a shame as he’d seem like a shrewd acquisition on a free.
Already closing in on 200 senior appearances at just 23 (Transfermarkt), he has plenty of high-level pedigree from his involvement in the Bundesliga and Champions League, along with helping his current club to Europa League glory a year ago this week.
Many Reds supporters may also be displeased to see their side miss out on him to a team managed by Mourinho, who’s had multiple ungracious run-ins with the Merseysiders during his previous spells in England.
Ndicka would’ve been a cost-free option (in terms of transfer budget, at least) to bolster Liverpool’s central defensive options, but instead it appears as if Jurgen Klopp and FSG will need to look elsewhere if they’re intent on strengthening that part of the squad over the summer.